Wineries in South Tyrol

A castle, an estate winery, a family of counts: what sounds like the abridged version of the plot from a dime novel is in fact that of the Englar Castle Estate Winery in San Michele-Appiano, which has been in the possession of the Khuen-Belasi counts since 1640. After a pause of more than eighty years, in 2012 they began making wine here themselves once again from their own grapes.

Because Englar Castle is found in San Michele-Appiano and thus in an area that is virtually predestined for winegrowing, grapes have from the very beginning been a part of the economic pillars of the castle estate. Up until 1930, the Khuen-Belasi counts also ran their own winery which, however, was then shut down. For more than eighty years, the grapes from Englar were then supplied to the cooperative wineries until a little less than ten years ago, when Count Johannes Khuen-Belasi began to once again make the castle wines.

“Our goal is excellent wines, and they require grapevines that grow harmoniously in a healthy environment,” says Khuen-Belasi, describing the philosophy that he follows at the Englar Castle Estate Winery in San Michele-Appiano. What results from them is a prudent selection of varieties that is coordinated with the soils and climate, cultivation methods that are close to nature, gentle work processes, and a corresponding control of harvest yields. “We intentionally reduce the yield per hectare, and specifically to match each corresponding grapevine, in order to be able to harvest top-quality grapes,” says the castle winegrower.

A total of seven hectares of grape growing areas belong to the Englar Estate Winery. They are planted with Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and Schiava. A traditional assortment for a traditional estate winery.

Down-to-earth and cosmopolitan: the fact that someone can be both is proven by Markus Prackwieser. Although he runs the Gump Hof Estate Winery at Fiè allo Sciliar, which is nearly half a millennium old, with a great deal of respect for tradition, he also gets his inspiration from abroad: from Wachau, Austria, from Burgundy, or from the Loire Valley. “Those are the exemplary regions,” Prackwieser says.

Since 2000, he has been responsible for the Gump Hof Estate winery in Fiè, and since that time, he has sought exchanges which do not always have to cross borders. Thus along with Günther Kerschbaumer of the Köfererhof and Christian Plattner of the Ansitz Waldgries, Prackwieser forms a wine trio that exchanges information, consults with each other, and makes use of synergies.

So new paths are not a strange thing to the winegrower, nor are deep roots in history. After all, the Gump Hof dates back to the sixteenth century. “That characterizes the estate, it has an effect with respectful dealings with the environment, with typical grape varieties being grown, with classic cultivation methods, and with laborious work by hand,” Prackwieser says. Within that context, the winegrower can fall back on vineyards from 400 to 550 meters in elevation, up to 70 percent of which are steep, in which Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and Schiava grow.

In the wines of the Gump Hof Estate Winery in Fiè, being down-to-earth and cosmopolitan flow together. Or, as Prackwieser says, “The knowledge that has been acquired, our own experience, time, and patience; and the honing of an independent flavor profile all lead to the character of the landscape being reflected in our wines. And that of the winegrower.”

Working in harmony with nature and not against it is the credo to which Alois Lageder has dedicated himself as one of the first with his estate winery in Magré. The expression of that is the strictly biodynamic method of cultivation in the family’s own 55 hectares of vineyards.

Recognizing the estate as a self-contained microcosm with a diversity of plants and animals: that is what biodynamics professes, according to which the Lageder Estate Winery is oriented: “As an estate winery, we have set ourselves the goal of maintaining and expanding this complex ecosystem,” explains Lageder.

And a second goal is pursued in Magré: the palette of grape varieties of the Lageder Estate Winery ought to reflect the diversity in Alto Adige – as should the wines that are made from them. They are subdivided into classic grape varieties, compositions, and masterpieces. With the classic varieties, the product line ranges from Gewürztraminer to Lagrein to Schiava, while the components from the vineyard and the winery for the compositions are newly combined with each other each year. In that way, no vintage is similar to another.

The flagship of the Lageder Estate Winery is the masterpieces. “With these, we strive to perfect all of the aspects of winemaking,” says Lageder. Nothing less than perfection is therefore the goal. But within that context, Alois Lageder as both a lover and patron of the arts (the Löwengang Manor as the headquarters of the estate winery is an eloquent sign of this passion) is well aware that perfection is unattainable. But one can always try to get as close to it as possible.

Andreas Dichristin has a dream. He wants to consistently make wine from completely untreated grapes, and thus he even does without organic pesticides. He has reserved a section of his organic estate winery Tröpfltalhof in Caldaro for the trials. And planned for lots and lots of patience.

For someone who has dedicated his life to winegrowing and winemaking, Dichristin incidentally admits to having a really marginal role in all of it. “For thirty years, I have been accompanying the grapes on their path from the vineyard into the bottle,” he says, “and today I know that our work for the most part consists of observing.”

The secret of his work is to remain very close to nature with everything that he does and to recognize the right timing for everything. For that reason, since 2005, Andreas, his wife Rosmarie, and their children Verena and Jakob have been running the Tröpfltalhof in Caldaro biodynamically – and, it goes without saying, the vineyards, as well. In their own nearby vineyard at an elevation of 500 meters, Sauvignon Blanc vines grow, while in the Barleith vineyard above Lake Caldaro, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are planted.

The fact that the wines of the Tröpfltalhof are aged in amphorae emphasizes once again the very independent path that the Dichristins follow. Andreas describes it as “Remaining true to minimalism from the vines to the bottle”, and adds, “I believe that it is precisely that which gives my wines greatness and originality.”

With the founding of the Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano in 1907, an eventful success story began, and today the name stands for great wines and extraordinary quality. The 320 members of the cooperative winery work their vineyards in harmony with nature, and the secret to their success is the combination of decades of experience and constantly striving for perfection. The unique terroir, the respectful dealing with the grapes, and careful processing guarantee unique wines filled with character. In particular, the vineyards in and around Appiano offer the ideal conditions for varieties such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Yellow Muscat, and Pinot Noir.

But for well-structures red wines, outstanding small vineyards are found at lower elevations and along the Wine Route. The mild and sunny climate forms the basis for the unique quality of the wines. Today, San Michele-Appiano is one of the most renowned wineries in Alto Adige and Italy, with wines winning prizes both within the country and abroad. Experts attribute finesse, elegance, depth, and longevity to the wines from the Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano.

These qualities are just as valid for both the winery’s larger productions, such as the “Sanct Valentin” line, and for the super selections, such as APPIUS and “The Wine Collection”. With them, San Michele-Appiano has made a name for itself around the globe.

Wine has been made for nearly four centuries at the Unterganzner-Hof on the eastern edge of Bolzano. So it is no wonder that wine has become the great passion of the Mayr family. But in addition to that, there is a second one: “We all love music, and each one of us plays an instrument or sings,” says Josephus Mayr.

He runs the Mayr-Unterganzner Estate Winery in the tenth generation and also makes no secret of the fact that he profits from the preparatory work of his ancestors. Or, in more precise terms, from the selection of grapevines that was carried out with experience and a great deal of instinctive feeling. “Added to that is our precise work in the vineyard from pruning the vines to the late harvest and the gentle vinification in our own winery,” says Mayr.

And the ideal location, one is inclined to add. After all, the Mayr-Unterganzner Estate Winery is located in the classic Santa Maddalena zone and benefits from an outstanding red wine climate, good aeration, many hours of sunshine, and alluvial soils that warm easily. “The high plant density, the advanced age of the vines, and the pergola training also make their contribution,” the winegrower explains.

Thus what is created is Santa Maddalena as well as Lagrein that is rigorously matured in oak barrels that can age in the bottle for many years, classic wines that are still tirelessly honed. For example, making the cultivation more ecological is continuously pushed forward, and fungus-resistant vines are increasingly being planted. And where does Josephus Mayr see his estate winery in ten years? “In ten years, my son Josef will be running the estate. At that point, we will have been managing it for 401 years – hopefully with even better wines.”

Never stand still – that, too, is family tradition.

Anyone who has been passionately active in the wine sector for a long time wants to put their own stamp on wines at some point. That may be at their own risk, but in fact also with their own signature. That is precisely what the Martini family has done, and it was now more than forty years ago that the K. Martini & Sohn Winery in Cornaiano was brought to life.

The K in K. Martini & Sohn stands for the father Karl Martini, who founded the winery in 1979 with his son Gabriel, and specifically in the middle of their own vineyards in the winegrowing village of Cornaiano, which belongs to the community of Appiano. At that time, both father and son had already made their careers in the sector, so they brought along the necessary know-how and the experience regarding wine that was essential for their success.
In spite of that, the step to being on their own was not an easy one: “Building up the winery was a hard piece of work,” Gabriel Martini recounts today. “We filled, sealed, and labeled the first bottles by hand.”

Because they were well aware of their size (or lack thereof), they understood themselves at K. Martini & Sohn from the very beginning to be a small but fine operation that focuses not only on comprehensive and friendly service, but also above all else on quality. “That alone justifies the existence of a small family operation,” says Martini.
In addition, it is built upon a palette of wines that is astonishingly large for a small operation which today comprises four lines and ranges from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Noir to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Schiava, and Lagrein all the way to Yellow Muscat and Red Muscat.

Stroblhof is a farm (‘maso’) with a long viticultur tradition: as early as 1600 documents mention winegrowing at this estate. It seems that from these early times, grapes were grown here at the base of the steep cliffs of the Mendelpass and benefitted from the optimal soils and unique diurnal temperatures variation.

We continue to work hard at this farm – both in the vineyards and the cellars – with the single minded scope of producing top quality wine. The low and select production allows us to guarantee the high quality of the wines. In fact, from 5.5 hectares, we only produce a maximum of 40,000 bottles, half of which is white, the other red. The altitude of 500 meters above sea level is an additional advantage to producing wines of unique character, good acidity, and with a good aging potential.

Stroblhof ranks with the top estates of South Tyrol and is the founding member of the small growers association, “Vignaioli dell’Alto Adige.”

Winegrowing in Appiano has no fewer than two thousand years of tradition. Two thousand years in which winegrowers of all eras have made use of the ideal location, the mild climate, and the fertile soils on the ridge near the Passo Mendola for growing grapes and making wine from them.

It is not surprising that such a lengthy tradition is anchored in the winegrowing operations and winegrower families. And at the Weinberghof, the Romen family does not constitute an exception. It is in the district of Appiano-Monte in which history and tradition become especially tangible, as there is a density here of manors, castles, and fortresses that knows no equal.

The Weinberghof in its typical Oltradige style joins in this tradition. The view from the terrace looks out on the surrounding countryside and the numerous vineyards – including those of the Romen family. “We make use of the ideal location here with numerous hours of sunshine that is especially beneficial to the maturing of the grapes,” explains Alois Romen. “And during the night, katabatic winds provide cooler temperatures. These substantial temperature differentials between day and night are responsible for the prominent aroma of our wines.”
But wine enthusiasts can convince themselves of this, and specifically right at the Weinberghof. Their own wines can be tasted here properly – in the winery which, with its old stone arches, is reminiscent of olden days. As one learns, tradition extends into the details.

We - Ingrid and Arthur Rainer - have gone the indirect way, looked around and permanently learned. As a consequence, we want to go an open, modern and future-oriented way. In 2013 a new milestone was set. For the first time all the grapes of the family-owned vineyards were vinified in our cellars.

An estate winery also lives from strong personalities. The Castel Juval Unterortl Estate Winery in Castelbello at the entrance to the Val Senales has three at the same time: the king of mountain climbing, Reinhold Messner, is the owner, and Gisela and Martin Aurich run it as tenants. Three heads for one estate winery, so to speak.

While Reinhold Messner most likely needs no further introduction, in the context of his estate winery it is worthwhile to take a closer look at the Aurichs. They have dedicated themselves to wine and distilled spirits since 1992. In the Castel Juval Unterortl Estate Winery, they are responsible for 30,000 bottles that are produced here year after year: Müller Thurgau, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir, whose very particular character is passionately looked after by the Aurichs. As their credo goes, in the end it should be possible to taste the characteristics of the grape variety, the soil, and the microclimate.

Their newest child is a rosé, with the description of which Martin Aurich waxes eloquently, “Our Pinot Noir rosé is salmon-colored, stimulating, and multifacetedly fruity, its flavor is seductively full and lasting,” says the winegrower, who has taken under his wing the production not only of wine, but also of grappa at the Castel Juval Unterortl Estate Distillery.

With Martin and Gisela Aurich, the threads are woven together of the Castel Juval Unterortl Estate Winery and Estate Distillery. In the castle, they are the winegrowers and distillers of the king. The king of mountain climbing, but a king nevertheless.

Anyone who visits that Pfeifer family at the Pfannenstielhof in Bolzano will find themselves, after a somewhat unusual approach through the business zone, in the middle of vineyards. The Pfannenstielhof appeared in a document for the first time in 1561. The hereditary estate in now run in its seventh generation by Johannes Pfeifer along with his wife Margareth and their daughters Anna and Veronika. How is tradition reflected in the agricultural methods of today?

On one hand, in a management of the vineyards that is close to nature, but also in the concentration upon the indigenous grape varieties of Schiava and Lagrein. “We are a pure red wine operation,” says Pfeifer. “Our grapes originate only from the best, well-aerated areas and are grown exclusively on pergola trellises.” Pfeifer has always believed in the potential of these indigenous varieties. He is convinced that they are unique and precious grapes that clearly delineate themselves from the international singular taste.

The tradition then also becomes clear when Pfeifer explains the guiding principles according to which he makes his wine. In that regard, “down-to-earth” is the first term he mentions. He wants to make “sincere wines.” And with complete tradition: “The joy in drinking of course cannot come of short,” the winegrower says. And he’s right.

“Good wine requires one thing above all else: character.” This conviction leads Peter Wachtler with his work at the Taschlerhof in Bressanone. Since the early 1990s, this has consisted of making four white wines whose longevity, fruity bouquet, and a trace of the exotic have been attested to.

Wachtler himself asserts that the Taschlerhof at the southern part of Bressanone works “with the right portion of passion and a tiny bit of boldness.” In plain language, that means that he is pleased to exchange information with his winegrowing colleagues throughout all of Europe, but he still follows his own path in the vineyard and the winery.
That all begins in the Taschlerhof’s vineyards at an elevation of over 500 meters, where the not very fertile slate soils, southeastern exposure, and intense rays of the sun are ideal for white wines. Wachtler places great value here upon purposefully reducing the yields and only harvesting the grapes “at their absolute physiological maturity,” since, “Only in that way are the quality and the typical characteristics of the extreme growing locations maintained.”

At the Taschlerhof in Bressanone, the concentration is on four varieties: Sylvaner, Riesling, Kerner, and Gewürztraminer. Around 60 percent are matured in large acacia barrels, and around 40 percent in stainless steel tanks. “My young wines mature through late spring with constant contact with the fine yeast,” Wachtler says, “and for that reason they are only ready to drink by late summer.” Individual wines, as we learn, need time.

#Herzblutmenschen [people of passion]. #Werteverfechter [champions of values]. #Emotionenschaffer [creators of emotion]. Anyone who follows the Castelfeder Estate Winery in Egna on Instagram knows that the wine production here may be linked with a lot of know-how, with the necessary knowledge, and with many years of experience, but also with a great deal of heart. “We are emotion, and we create emotion,” the Giovanett family says of itself, as its third generation is now running the estate winery.

The Castelfeder Estate Winery was founded in Egna more than 50 years ago by Alfons Giovanett, but since that time, hardly anything has remained the same. “The product line has been expanded, production has increased, the processes in the winery have been modernized, and the market has become more international,” says Günther Giovanett, who took over the estate from his father Alfons and runs it with his children Ivan and Ines. Today, the Castelfeder Estate Winery encompasses 65 hectares, on which 70 percent is planted with white wine varieties.

“The focus is on Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc,” Giovanett explains. With the red wines, the concentration is on Pinot Noir.

But whether it is red wines or white wines, little has changed with the philosophy of the Castelfeder Estate Winery over the past 50 years. “The special feature of our wines is how they are grown,” Giovanett explains. “We divide every smallest plot in order to be able to attend to the needs of the grapes as well as possible.” That is how terroir wines with a particular character come into existence. Or, in keeping with Insta-jargon: #terroirwineswithheart

Now in its seventh generation of winegrowers, the Clemens Waldthaler Estate Winery is based in Ora in the heart of the Lagrein and Pinot Noir areas in the Bassa Atesina. Today, Clemens Waldthaler focuses not just on those two calling card varieties, but also has white wines and Bordeaux varieties in the selection.

Ora is a traditional winegrowing village in the Bassa Atesina. It is on a porphyry scree cone which lends the wines grown here a mineral-rich tone. In addition, the climate and slight slopes provide the conditions that are optimal for winegrowing. The Waldthalers also recognized that, but it was back in 1735. That was when the family purchased the estate winery which today bears their name and comprises seven hectares of grape growing areas.

In the vineyards of the Clemens Waldthaler Estate Winery in Ora, it is not just the two varieties that are classic for the Bassa Atesina that grow there, Pinot Noir and Lagrein, but also Cabernet and Merlot. The best grapes of the latter three varieties are made into the wines that are the calling card of the Clemens Waldthaler Estate Winery: the Raut line. In addition to the reds, there are also white wines in the assortment on offer consisting of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc.

“We focus on gentle processing of the grapes, controlled fermentation, and the constant inspection and care of the wines,” Waldthaler says, going on to also explain the goal of this guiding principle: “All of that is imperative for the quality and drinkability of the wine.”

The imposing church, which also decorates their logo, is a witness to the importance which the town had in the Late Middle Ages – not least because of the favorite wines from the area. At that time, San Paolo was the main village in Oltradige, and even today, historical winegrowing farmhouses line the picturesque lanes.

Top wines are now produced, such as Sanctissimus, made from Pinot Blanc vines that are more than one hundred years old, or the Praeclarus sparkling wine, which is aged to perfection in a bunker from the Second World War. A total of two hundred winegrowing families tend 185 hectares of vineyards at elevations ranging from 300 to 700 m above sea level. In 2019, they completely redid their product line. Allow yourself to be surprised!

An estate from the thirteenth century and an import from Rhineland Palatinate: the Rielingerhof in Collalbo on the Renon plateau is over eight hundred years old, but only since 2011 has the grape harvest been made into wine at the estate, including Riesling. Winegrower Matthias Messner learned to love it during his years of apprenticeship in Rhineland Palatinate in Germany. And this import from the Rhine has found outstanding conditions here.

As early as the beginning of the thirteenth century, the Rielingerhof in Siffiano, a district of Collalbo on the Renon plateau, was first mentioned in a document. A wine pressing stone from that time is still in the farmhouse – as testimony to the 800 year-old tradition of winegrowing at the estate, which came into the possession of the Messner family in 1956.

And now it is Matthias Messner who holds the reins here. He learned the art of winemaking both in Alto Adige and in Germany. “From the Rhineland, I brought along my love of Riesling, which brings forth such noteworthy quality on these mineral-rich soils,” Messner says. And what provides this is not only the soils, which are ideal for fruity wines with mineral tones, but also the elevation of the two hectare vineyards (at 750 meters!), the southern exposure of the mountainside, and last but not least their slope. “It reaches up to 75 percent,” Messner explains.

In such extreme locations, work by hand is required, added to which Messner manages his Rielingerhof in Collalbo purely organically. All of the wines that originate here are certified organic: the white Blatterle, Müller Thurgau, and Kerner, and the red Schiava and Zweigelt.

From Karl to Josef to Johannes: for a good forty years now, the baton of wine production has been passed on at the Bergmannhof. From father to son to grandson, from Pichler to Pichler. But the Pichler’s relay race with grapegrowing is substantially longer than that. It dates back to the year 1851 in which the family came into possession of the Bergmannhof.

As early as the seventeenth century, the Bergmannhof in Riva di Sotto-Appiano appeared for the first time in documents, and for nearly 170 years, the Pichler family has been operating it. But only in 1978 did Karl Pichler and his son Josef decide to go their own way and make wine themselves out of the grapes from their 2.5 hectares of vineyards. From the very beginning onward, great value was placed upon careful, prudent dealings with the vineyard and the vines, which also meant upon a lot of work by hand. “We try to work as close to nature as possible through the smallest targeted interventions,” Josef Pichler explains, “and thus to get the best from our grapes vintage after vintage.” Within that context, it comes in useful for Pichler that within that work, tradition and innovation flow together – in the form of knowledge from three generations.

Both of those ensure that the care and prudence continue, in the winery as well. “The maturation of our wines takes place for the most part in large wooden barrels with long periods of contact with the yeast and minimal use of sulfur, and we do without unnecessary fining and filtration,” Pichler says, describing the signature at the Bergmannhof. It is the signature of three generations.

“My wines are made for people who know that wine is much more than just a drink.” Klaus Lentsch’s credo indicates the path that he follows with his Klaus Lentsch Estate Winery in San Paolo. The path to cru wines from the Valle Isarco, fresh white wines from the Oltradige, and powerful reds from the Bassa Atesina.

Lentsch comes from a winegrowing family rich in tradition from Bronzolo in the Bassa Atesina. In 2008, along with his wife Sylvia, he put his winemaking knowledge on his own two feet and founded the Klaus Lentsch Estate Winery in San Paolo. The goal: to blaze new trails and also create wines that are typical for the region.

“The region” in that regard is not just San Paolo or Oltradige. Rather, under the Klaus Lentsch name, three winegrowing areas are tended which are completely different and yet classic. On five hectares in San Paolo, three hectares in Campodazzo, and two more in Bronzolo, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, Yellow Muscat, and Lagrein all grow.

But it doesn’t matter at all where the vineyards are located: “Striving for quality already starts in the vineyard, and specifically right at the vine,” Lentsch says, “and it continues in the winery and the marketing.” Only when the ideas about quality encompass every link of the chain are outstanding wines created. Those that are more than just a drink.

Three generations of vintners – With a passion for wine-making

We are down to earth, but also innovative. We have great respect for Nature, and cultivate grapes only at the appropriate locations. That describes, in a nutshell, the philosophy of the Niklas winery. We view our family heritage as a responsibility to shape and maintain a South Tyrolean wine-growing estate like no other. It embodies the know-how and motivation of three generations of vintners, and is a place where outstanding South Tyrolean red wines typical for their location are created. In the meantime, Dieter Sölva guides the estate’s continued development. Dieter learned the business from his father, Josef, the founder of the Niklas winery, whom he succeeded. Dieter’s son Michael is already adding his unique handwriting to the family business – whose wines are now being marketed throughout the world.

Wineries are something almost sacred for wine connoisseurs. And at the Muri-Gries Monastery Winery, that impression may be even stronger. After all, up until the end of the eighteenth century, the rooms which are used as a winery today were the church of the Augustinian seminary at that time. And even today, the winery is reached directly through the cloister of the monastery.

The connection between wine and monastery which has already existed for centuries therefore also becomes clear at the monastery complex. Thus the heart of the vineyards, the monastery meadow, is still a part of the monastery complex today in the Bolzano district of Gries. In addition, the grapes from other vineyards in and around Bolzano and the Oltradige also come to the monastery winery.

The proprietor of the winery and the estate is the Benedictine Community of Muri Gries, while the daily work concerning wine lies in the hands of laymen, first and foremost winemaker Christian Werth. He describes the wines from the monastery winery as “elegant, linear, emphatically typical to the variety, powerful, and closely connected with their origins.”

Special attention is due to the Lagrein. “We want to display this traditional variety in all of its facets: from the rosé known as Kretzer to the Lagrein that is traditionally matured in large wooden barrels to the Riservas, which are carefully aged in small oak casks,” says Werth.

Thus it is no surprise that great emphasis is placed upon tradition at the Muri-Gries Monastery Winery. As well as on continuity, striving for quality, and the bond with nature and the cultural landscape. Values, it is to be understood, are upheld in a monastery.

Heiner Pohl calls his Marinushof in Castelbello “an agricultural start-up enterprise.” And the description comes not by chance. For two reasons: first of all, it originates from a former marketing manager who, secondly, built the estate winery out of nothing.

Let’s turn to the ex-manager: Heiner Pohl was in his late thirties when he crossed over into agriculture. “Up to this very day, I am grateful for this decision every single day,” Pohl says, “including because I built up my operation myself out of nothing, and everything sprang out of my ideas and my ideals.” So it is a start-up in the truest sense of the word which, however, brings satisfaction more at the spiritual level than the financial one. “It’s hard, but it’s very gratifying,” he says.

The vineyards of the Marinushof lie on terraces on steep slopes that are pampered by the Val Venosta sunshine – and by cool nights. “It is precisely the temperature differentials between day and night in the autumn that bring finesse and excitement to our wines,” explains Pohl, who calls his operation a factory. But in the end, the vineyards are for the most part tended by hand.

The product line of the Marinushof consists of varieties that feel right at home in the Val Venosta: Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. “Our wines are characterized by harmony and naturalness, and they age very well,” says the winegrower. And for all those who are perhaps not so familiar with wine vocabulary: “These wines make you most prefer to drink the whole bottle without stopping.”

Creating long-lasting, multilayered wines with character: that is the goal that is pursued in the Cantina Terlano. Its roots as a cooperative winery date back to 1893. Tradition therefore plays just as central of a role in the grape and wine production as new knowledge and modern technology do.

Some 143 members belong to the Terlano cooperative winery today. They tend no fewer than 190 hectares of vineyards that profit from a very particular soil. “The Petersbach stream created a mud and scree cone in Terlano which distinguishes itself by a high coarse portion of stones and sand and which therefore warms up very easily,” explains winemaker Rudi Kofler.

As head oenologist at the Cantina Terlano, he is responsible for the total number of 1.5 million bottles per year, all of which carry the DOC designation. “White wines represent 70 percent of our production, so the reds don’t even make up a third,” Kofler says. In the white assortment, the Cantina Terlano has above all else Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio, while the reds consist of Lagrein, Pinot Noir, and Merlot.

In order for the white and red wines to be able to mature into long-lasting, multilayered wines with character, which winemaker Kofler has set for himself as a goal, technological upgrades have been enlisted in recent years. Thus the storeroom at the Cantina Terlano has been expanded over time to 18,000 cubic meters. Because great wines need both time and space.

Here the brute force of a bunker, there the elegance of a sparkling wine: the San Paolo Winery has brought together two apparent opposites, and it has been doing so since 1979. In that year, the first bottles of sparkling wine were filled and stored to mature in a bunker from World War Two. The result of that experiment is Praeclarus, which today is one of the calling cards of the San Paolo Winery.

Two hundred winegrowing families belong to the cooperative. They tend 185 hectares (457 acres) of vineyards in a spectrum of elevations that ranges from 300 to 700 meters (900 to 2,300 feet). The Chardonnay grapes that make their way into Praeclarus grow above the village at an elevation of around 500 meters (1,600 feet).

“This is the place where the grapevines find their optimal conditions,” explains Philipp Zublasing, winemaker at the San Paolo Winery. “On one hand, deep chalky soils; on the other hand, prominent temperature differentials between day and night which contribute to the special aroma of Praeclarus.”

This sparkling wine is produced strictly according to the classic méthode champenoise, with the second fermentation taking place in the bottle. The maturation time on the fine yeast amounts to at least forty-eight months, which the Praeclarus spends in the bunker. The temperature there is at a constant 12 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit), which is therefore ideal for a maturing sparkling wine. And incidentally, visitors can be convinced twice over: with a visit to the winery along with an excursion into the sparkling wine bunker, and of course with a bubbly glass.  

The Kettmeir Winery in Caldaro has existed since 1919. Or to put it better, the winery has existed since 1919, but they have also been making sparkling wine since 1964. Today, Kettmeir relies upon 60 suppliers who cover a broad winegrowing area. It ranges from Caldaro up to Soprabolzano on the Renon plateau in the north and down to Pochi above Salorno in the south.

Shortly after the end of the First World War, the agronomist Giuseppe Kettmeir built a winery in Caldaro. For nearly 50 years, the production of quality wines was the only pillar of the Kettmeir Winery, until the potential of sparkling wines was recognized in 1964. “As far as the production of sparkling wine is concerned, we are among the pioneers in Alto Adige and have made our contribution to reviving this tradition,” they say at the Kettmeir Winery.

Since 1986, this winery in Caldaro has belonged to the Santa Margherita winegrowing group, but the focus of its activity did not change with this event. Today, 60 winegrowers supply the winery with grapes that originate from 55 hectares of vineyards. The core is those in Caldaro, from which Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Red Muscat originate. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are also supplied by estates in Pochi, while the Ebnicherhof in Soprabolzano provides the winery with Müller Thurgau grapes.

Out of this diversity, Kettmeir creates exquisite sparkling wines – and since 1992 using only the classic méthode champenoise. “It is the most complex way of producing sparkling wine,” they say at the winery, “but also the most elegant.”

Steep locations require a lot of work, sweat, and devotion, but they certainly also have their advantages. Thus 190 hectares of cultivation area are divided among the same number of members of the Cantina Kurtatsch at elevations from 220 to 900 meters – and all of that in just one community.

That is unique in all of Europe. And this winery also holds another record: Andreas Kofler is responsible for the young and dynamic team, and he took the helm in Cortaccia at the age of just 32 as the youngest president in the history of Alto Adige cooperative wineries. “In our vineyards, every grape variety finds its optimal location, its ideal terroir,” Kofler says.

The lower locations are among the warmest in Alto Adige and are ideal for Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. “The soil composition between Cortaccia and Termeno is completely similar to that of Pomerol in France,” the president explains. But up to 900 meters, on the other hand, grow varieties that prefer to have things cooler and airier and thrive best on calcareous dolomite soils – following the strictest guidelines for sustainability.

With a firm commitment and great respect for nature and resources, that is how unmistakable terroir wines that are strong in character are created at the Cantina Kurtatsch. “They each reflect their location without embellishment,” Kofler says, as he also tips his hand on the simple recipe as to why that is so: “In the winery, we just let the wine reveal itself.”

The Befehlhof estate in Vezzano has tended to vineyards since 1370. Six centuries later, Magdalena Schuster is in charge of the Befehlhof’s winegrowing business and specializes in producing fruity, clear, and vibrant mountain wines of pronounced minerality.

For her, the farm and the wines it produces are inseparable entities. According to her philosophy, the farm represents a dynamic environment that allows the entire family to unleash their creativity. And creativity is exactly what is needed in winemaking: “The work out in the vineyards and down in the cellars is defined by a perfect mix of science, nature, and creativity,” explains the winegrower.

The Befehlhof’s history underscores the importance of creativity. Oswald Schuster was the first winegrower in Val Venosta to grow a Riesling, for example. One of Magdalena’s top priorities is to reintroduce Fraueler. The Befehlhof is one of very few wine estates to produce Fraueler, an ancient Val Venosta wine, as a pure variety.

At 720 meters above sea level, the slate soils in the Befehlhof vineyards also nurture Pinot Blanc, Souvignier Gris, Riesling, Zweigelt, and Pinot Noir. In 2013, the farm was switched to organic cultivation. “Organic winegrowing requires us to closely monitor grapevine and wine cycles to be able to intervene as early as possible, if necessary,” says the winemaker. However, the level of intervention should be kept as low as possible, which also means that the wines ferment spontaneously and are filled when the wine is ready. “This makes our wines more nuanced and complex, and, as a result, more interesting,” adds Schuster.

Considering their history, it should not come as a surprise that the Befehlhof took the lead once more, pioneering the creation of Val Venosta’s first sparkling wine: a Pinot Blanc–Riesling named “Sällent”, after a mountain in Martello. A true gem on the shelves, that is for sure.